Not having an Emirates ID is increasingly becoming an option residents of the UAE cannot afford. Not merely because of the fines. Access to basic and key services are increasingly becoming impossible without the ID card.

An Abu Dhabi-based resident says his child’s school admission is now at risk as he has not been able to submit the child’s ID card, as is mandatory by the Abu Dhabi Education Council for all new admissions.

The father is understandably distraught as his son is just 3-years old and is going to school for the first time.

The Abu Dhabi school, which this website has refrained for using, has already sent him two reminders asking him to provide the ID to complete the enrollment process.

“The last reminder I got from the school was in July. I did inform them that I would be producing the card once I get it. I am certain they will ask for it on Monday,” Murtaza Poonawala told Emirates 24|7.

What makes this particular case unique is that Poonawala has actually had his son’s Emirates ID and only applied for a renewal, which has not come.

However, a unique set of circumstances has put him now between a rock and a hard place.

He applied for his child’s ID on March 29, 2012, but had to modify his application, which he did on July 16.

“It was a mistake… we applied for a new card and not for renewal. We were advised by Eida to modify the application, which I did in July.

“I was told by the typing centre that I would receive an SMS in about a week or two. But, I didn’t get any SMS. Finally, I lodged a complaint and got an SMS on August 22 that said my case had been resolved.”

Poonawala claims he spoke to the Eida call centre on August 26, but the staff could not provide him with any answer on what action they had taken and when he would receive his child’s ID.

“And I am yet to hear from them,” he states.

Eida has been asking parents to apply for IDs for the children below 15 before October 1 to avoid a Dh20 fine per day.

Even the Ministry of Education, issued a circular in mid-August, to all private schools to ask the parents to speed up the registration of students under the age of 15 in the Emirates ID before the deadline to avoid fines. The circular was issued to all private schools in Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah.

Emirates 24|7 was still awaiting an Eida response at the time of publishing of the article.